Rogue tusker PM-2 captured in Wayanad

The jumbo will be converted into a kumki by taming it at Muthanga kraal

The Forest and Wildlife department on Monday captured a rogue wild tusker that had spread terror among residents in Sulthan Bathety municipality in Wayanad district in the past few days.

The elephant, code-named Pandalur makhana elephant, or PM2, was captured from the Kuppady forest in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) and shifted to a temporary kraal set up at Muthanga.

Minister for Forest A.K. Saseendran appreciated the officials who had spent nearly three days to capture the pachyderm.

Close to 150 forest personnel, including front-line forest staff, members of the rapid response team (RRT), veterinary doctors, tranquilliser experts, trackers and two kumki (trained) elephants were employed at the WWS to capture the elephant.

The operation began at 7.30 a.m. on Monday with the help of four kumki elephants, including Suryan and Surendran, at the Muthanga elephant kraal, said sanctuary sources.

The team located the animal near a marshy land at Manalvayal near the RRT office at 8 a.m. Veterinarians administered the animal a tranquillizer dart at 8.56 a.m.

When the pachyderm began to show symptoms of sedation after around 30 minutes, the kumki elephants led PM-2 to a mobile ambulance of the department parked near the forest around 11.30 a.m. It took nearly an hour to reach the elephant kraal at Muthanga.